Is an API key required?

No! The USGS FDSNWS Event API is completely open and requires zero authentication, making this one of the most accessible and powerful real-time data sources available.

What is the query limit?

The maximum number of events returned per single API query is 20,000. If your time range or boundaries are too wide, the API will fail. Use the `count` tool first on large searches.

How fast is the data updated?

The USGS typically updates its earthquake data within minutes of an event occurring, making it one of the most reliable sources for near real-time seismic alerts.

USGS Earthquakes MCP Server for Windsurf 3 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: USGS Earthquakes
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

docs.windsurf.com/windsurf/mcp

Built by Vinkius GDPR 3 Tools IDE

Windsurf brings agentic AI coding to a purpose-built IDE. Connect USGS Earthquakes through the Vinkius and Cascade will auto-discover every tool — ask questions, generate code, and act on live data without leaving your editor.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usgs-earthquakes": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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About USGS Earthquakes MCP Server

The USGS Earthquakes MCP Server brings planet-scale telemetry directly to your AI agent. Pulling strictly real-time and historical data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) API, this tool gives you instant visibility into everything from micro-tremors to catastrophic seismic events globally.

Windsurf's Cascade agent chains multiple USGS Earthquakes tool calls autonomously — query data, analyze results, and generate code in a single agentic session. Paste the Vinkius Edge URL, reload, and all 3 tools are immediately available. Real-time tool feedback appears inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor.

Core Capabilities

Global Seismic Monitoring — Query real-time data across the planet.
Radial & Bounding Box Search — Focus searches on specific fault lines, continents, or specific radial points like Tokyo or San Francisco.
Magnitude & Time Filters — Zero in on data by slicing through specific date ranges and Richter thresholds.
High-Alert Diagnostics — Detect immediate tsunami warnings and review detailed human-curated significance ratings.

Whether you are building environmental response bots or running historical data analytics on tectonic shifts, this zero-auth integration puts the pulse of the planet in your hands.

The USGS Earthquakes MCP Server exposes 3 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Windsurf in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect USGS Earthquakes to Windsurf via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the USGS Earthquakes MCP Server with Windsurf.

Open MCP Settings

Go to Settings → MCP Configuration or press Cmd+Shift+P and search "MCP"

Add the server

Paste the JSON configuration above into mcp_config.json

Save and reload

Windsurf will detect the new server automatically

Start using USGS Earthquakes

Open Cascade and ask: "Using USGS Earthquakes, help me..." — 3 tools available

Why Use Windsurf with the USGS Earthquakes MCP Server

Windsurf provides unique advantages when paired with USGS Earthquakes through the Model Context Protocol.

Windsurf's Cascade agent autonomously chains multiple tool calls in sequence, solving complex multi-step tasks without manual intervention

Purpose-built for agentic workflows — Cascade understands context across your entire codebase and integrates MCP tools natively

JSON-based configuration means zero code changes: paste a URL, reload, and all 3 tools are immediately available

Real-time tool feedback is displayed inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor without switching contexts

USGS Earthquakes + Windsurf Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Windsurf combined with the USGS Earthquakes MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Automated code generation: ask Cascade to fetch data from USGS Earthquakes and generate models, types, or handlers based on real API responses

Live debugging: query USGS Earthquakes tools mid-session to inspect production data while debugging without leaving the editor

Documentation generation: pull schema information from USGS Earthquakes and have Cascade generate comprehensive API docs automatically

Rapid prototyping: combine USGS Earthquakes data with Cascade's code generation to scaffold entire features in minutes

USGS Earthquakes MCP Tools for Windsurf (3)

These 3 tools become available when you connect USGS Earthquakes to Windsurf via MCP:

count_earthquakes

Get the total count of earthquakes matching specific criteria

get_significant_30_days

No parameters needed. Get highly significant global earthquakes from the last 30 days

query_earthquakes

Use parameters like starttime, endtime, minmagnitude, and geographic boundaries (latitude/longitude/maxradiuskm) to narrow the search. Maximum 20,000 events returned per query. Search for global earthquakes using USGS real-time seismic data

Example Prompts for USGS Earthquakes in Windsurf

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Windsurf agent to start working with USGS Earthquakes immediately.

"Show me the most significant earthquakes in the world from the last 30 days."

"Count the number of earthquakes above magnitude 2.5 in California in 2023."

"Check if there are any current tsunami warnings globally."

Troubleshooting USGS Earthquakes MCP Server with Windsurf

Common issues when connecting USGS Earthquakes to Windsurf through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

Server not connecting

Check Settings → MCP for the server status. Try toggling it off and on.

USGS Earthquakes + Windsurf FAQ

Common questions about integrating USGS Earthquakes MCP Server with Windsurf.

How does Windsurf discover MCP tools?

Windsurf reads the mcp_config.json file on startup and connects to each configured server via Streamable HTTP. Tools are listed in the MCP panel and available to Cascade automatically.

Can Cascade chain multiple MCP tool calls?

Yes. Cascade is an agentic system — it can plan and execute multi-step workflows, calling several tools in sequence to accomplish complex tasks without manual prompting between steps.

Does Windsurf support multiple MCP servers?

Yes. Add as many servers as needed in mcp_config.json. Each server's tools appear in the MCP panel and Cascade can use tools from different servers in a single flow.